JUNE 30, 1956

NEW YORK—Mr. and Mrs. Sardi Sr., together with their son, Vincent, last Wednesday invited a number of John Golden's old friends to meet at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City in Mr. Golden's memory, as this was his birthday.

It was decided at this time that a committee would be formed to plan a suitable memorial to Mr. Golden along the lines of his main interests. A smaller committee representing each of his main interests was created under the chairmanship of Newbold Morris, and it is hoped that this committee will meet shortly so as to be able to contact as many friends of John Golden's as possible, to find out their wishes.

The family of John Golden brought up the fact that in his will he left his house and grounds to the City of New York for the use of the boys in Bayside, Long Island. During his lifetime, there always were five baseball diamonds being used under the direction of the Police Athletic League.

There seems to be an idea that the house cannot be operated and, therefore, may be torn down. The committee was asked to investigate this, because the house is extremely well built and could be used as a boys' club. It could contain a small theatre, library, game rooms, lunch and club rooms and could be of use the year around to young people of the neighborhood. Its destruction, therefore, would cause distress to John Golden's family and, if the committee can prevent this, it will be done.

This seemed to be the most immediate and urgent problem, but many more types of memorials were suggested and will be considered.

Garden pests seem to be as active in New York City as in the country. The man who plants my garden will, I hope, come and treat these pests and keep the garden blooming as long as possible this summer, since I will be coming in and out of New York until I go abroad in mid-August.

There is a very interesting undertaking which I would like to bring to the attention of my readers.

A young teacher in Newton, Mass., Millard Harmon, taught in the U.S. Army schools of Germany for a short period. While there, he met Alfred Lingen, who was struggling to teach a little school near the border of East Germany. Many of the children in the school are refugees from the Russian sector whose families lost all their possessions and, in many cases, their fathers died or were sent to icy, marshy, concentration camps in Siberia.

So Harmon is asking our help to build a new school for this influx of young people in Peckelsheim, West Germany, and he would be happy to receive the help of Americans who are interested in the continuance of a really good school, teaching what freedom means, on the border of this Communist area.